Vehicle Inspection Tips

Prep:
-Bring a notepad, a writing instrument, a penny, and a flashlight.
-Wear clothes so you can get on the ground and look under the vehicle.

Exterior:
-Check for any leaking fluids under the vehicle, off while the vehicle is off and turned on.
-Check tires for exposed steal/other-material belt. If you can see the inner material (probably steel belt/cord) then the tires need to be replaced immediately. Do NOT test drive.
-Check the tire tread with the penny: insert the penny into the tread and try to hide Lincoln’s head. If he’s hidden, you’ve got plenty of life left on the tires. If not, you may need to replace them soon. Not a horrible thing, just $$$ to spend down the road. Be sure to check the tread on the inner side and outer side of the tires to ensure it’s even depth.
-Make sure tires are same brand/model. It should be printed on them. Mismatched tires are not good, but not the downfall of the vehicle.
-Look for dents and scratches. Nearly every car I’ve had looks great and then within a week, I notice dents or scratches. It’s up to you if they bother you, but it might indicate the vehicle being treated poorly.
-Look under the hood at engine parts. Excessive rust will mean more maintenance down the road. I wouldn’t be too concerned by dirt/dust, unless of course it’s caked on.
-Look for cracks in belts and hoses. Look for dark oil stains on the engine.
-Hold your hand near to see if you can feel any heat coming off of it. You want to make sure you’re starting the car cold and the seller didn’t warm it up for you before you got there.
-Pull out the oil dipstick and check the color of the oil. Light brown is new and good. Dark brown/black is old/used and needs to be changed, not a big deal. Milky/bubbly oil means there is water in the oil or some other thing wrong.

Interior:
-If there are spare parts or oil/other-fluid containers in the vehicle when you go to see it, it’s not a good sign,
-Check upholstery for tears, burns, stains. You know your limits for what’s acceptable.
-Smoke smell can be removed from the interior of the car, it might just take a short while and $20-30.
-Test the wipers (including the washer fluid), the stereo, A/C (important in Georgia), and heating.
-Verify the lights work, including headlights, brights, turn signals, hazard signals, (and extra lights, if the vehicle has them.)
-Check the odometer.

Test drive:
-Make sure the vehicle starts on first try. If it doesn’t, it could be a bad battery, starter, or something else. This is why you want the engine cold so you have an accurate judgment.
-Turn the stereo off during the test drive so you can listen for squealing in turns or during braking. Or any other unusual sounds.
-Ensure you drive on streets and highways. You want to make sure you can get it up to highway speeds(60+) with no problem. You also want to make sure you take turns to both right and left.
-The test drive might be a good time for a leak test if you can find some clean pavement, like a parking lot.

Research, can be done before and/or after seeing the vehicle in person:
-Read reviews on the year/make/model of the vehicle. www.edmunds.com and www.cars.com used to be good resources, not sure anymore.
-Check price. Look on www.cars.com or www.autotrader.com for same make/model/year prices. Search location up to 250 miles and look at mileage within 50k. Resources will say to check Kelley Blue Book, but that’s been kind of inflated and artificially controlled for over a decade. It used to be great before the internet.
-Check the VIN with the decoder, see first resource.
-Check insurance quotes. If you use the VIN, it should be able to fill in much of the information for you.

Lastly:
-If you feel particularly good about a vehicle and want to get it inspected by a mechanic, you can. If the seller refuses, it’s not a good sign. It’ll just cost you with the mechanic.

Resources:
https://www.allstate.com/blog/10-things-to-look-for-when-buying-a-used-car/
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/12/inspecting-a-used-car/index.htm
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/articles/what_to_look_for_when_buying_a_used_car